Chapter 20: Such an Unhinged Plot
In the original novel, the truth about how Shen Mingjun and his mother rose to power was exposed during the high school arc.
It went something like this:
Shen Mingjun was competing with Song Yinxing for a certain competition spot. In terms of grades alone, Shen Mingjun couldn’t win, so he threatened Song Yinxing to withdraw voluntarily.
When that failed, he had people from his family’s company fabricate dirt online, spreading rumors and stirring up cyberbullying. Using buzzwords like “City’s Top Student” and “Elite Private School,” they attracted traffic, accusing Song Yinxing of falsifying his family background to receive subsidies and even cheating on exams.
Soon, someone claiming to be a classmate came forward to “confirm” the accusations, posting a photo of Song Yinxing drinking expensive coffee and bringing up a past cheating incident—alleging that Song Yinxing had shifted the blame onto an innocent student because of his top grades.
During that period, Song Yinxing endured heavy public scrutiny. Netizens flooded the school’s official page demanding his expulsion. Teachers called him in for talks several times. His poverty certification had to be resubmitted from scratch. People whispered about him behind his back.
By chance, however, he met the parents of Shen Shan’s deceased first wife. They had always harbored doubts about their daughter’s death.
Unwilling to suffer in silence, Song Yinxing teamed up with them. They found the maid who had been bribed years ago; she still possessed evidence that Zhou Yinyin had privately purchased poison.
In the end, with that evidence, Zhou Yinyin and her son were sent to prison. Shen Shan, who had condoned everything, was disgraced.
Song Yinxing emerged victorious and reclaimed his competition spot.
Nie Ying, who had witnessed it all, found his attitude toward Song Yinxing shifting from pure disgust to something more curious.
What an interesting man, he thought.
This arc alone spanned fifty chapters.
Gu Yang read it while laughing so hard he rolled around on his bed.
What a deranged plot.
A bloodbath over a single competition spot.
It felt like using a cannon to blast a mosquito.
After laughing, he followed the book’s instructions, gathered the evidence, organized it, and anonymously sent it to the first wife’s parents.
Yet days passed without any noticeable upheaval.
Was Song Yinxing’s involvement necessary for things to work?
In the original story, once the evidence was submitted, everything immediately fell into place. The first wife’s family wasn’t particularly powerful—decent conditions, but no strong connections. Their other daughter had married into an ordinary household.
The only explanation seemed to be Song Yinxing’s protagonist halo.
Song Yinxing… actually had a protagonist halo.
Gu Yang snorted with amusement.
Considering how tragically miserable the protagonist of this melodramatic novel was, that halo felt ironic.
Since that route wasn’t working, he supposed he’d have to handle it personally.
From Gu Yang’s perspective, Shen Mingjun’s face was deathly pale. His usually arrogant eyes were now filled with terror, staring at Gu Yang as though he were some force capable of destroying him.
“What’s wrong? Not feeling well?” Gu Yang asked curiously.
Shen Mingjun stumbled back a step, voice stuck in his throat. “You…”
How do you know about this?
It had all happened so long ago.
In the first year after the plan succeeded, he hadn’t slept soundly once. Every ringing phone made him check immediately to see if it was from the police.
In the second year, he relaxed slightly—but every time Shen Shan called him into the study with a stern face, his mind returned to that incident.
By the third year… the fourth…
He had finally begun to bury it, no longer dreaming of those details at night.
It had been five years. That woman should’ve long since reincarnated. Why couldn’t this end?
Shen Mingjun glanced around helplessly. The gazes on him ranged from contempt to mockery to schadenfreude.
Who had Gu Yang sent the evidence to?
He forced himself to think.
Gu Yang sat in his seat, looking up at him.
His gaze traced Shen Mingjun’s expression slowly—
Like a blind person groping carefully over a face.
It had been a long time since Gu Yang had directly felt someone’s intense emotions.
That intensity made him vaguely hear the sound of something cracking open.
“Yu Zhou…” Shen Mingjun muttered, face twisted.
He had figured it out.
Gu Yang must have sent the evidence to Yu Zhou.
He wanted them to turn on each other. That was his revenge.
He couldn’t stay here any longer.
He had to go home immediately—he couldn’t let that mother and son seize the initiative.
Shen Mingjun staggered out.
“Why’d he just leave? So weird.” Gu Yang craned his neck to look.
The teacher, who had been standing awkwardly at the podium for ten minutes, coughed and told everyone to return to their seats.
He, too, had been following the Shen family gossip. Seeing the main characters confront each other in person, he hadn’t been able to resist spectating.
Unfortunately, part of it had unfolded like a silent movie.
With some regret, he extended class by ten minutes.
After class, Yu Bai rushed over, eager to pry for details.
Before he could find a way to start—
“Gu Yang, someone’s looking for you,” Xie Wu called from the window.
Several heads turned.
It was Song Yinxing.
Why was Song Yinxing looking for Gu Yang?
They still remembered their collective suspicion that Gu Yang harbored questionable feelings toward the top student.
Gu Yang stepped outside.
“What’s up?”
Song Yinxing had been distracted all day. Even during the short wait just now, he’d zoned out again.
Snapping back, he said, “You said I’d pay you back.”
“You suddenly scraped together the money?” Gu Yang looked him up and down, even reaching out to pat his sides.
Hmm. Kidneys seemed intact.
It wasn’t that his imagination ran wild—the original novel really did include a scene where, after failing the college entrance exam and facing school compensation plus his mother’s worsening illness, Song Yinxing considered selling a kidney.
Song Yinxing stiffened at the sudden touch and instinctively grabbed Gu Yang’s hand.
“What are you doing?” he asked hoarsely.
“Checking on you,” Gu Yang replied.
The conversation derailed instantly. Yet when their hands met—especially when he gripped back—Song Yinxing felt a strange sense of reassurance.
The anxiety that had plagued him all day eased.
Gu Yang was right here.
That dream must have been false.
“The school compensated me thirty thousand because of Ding Ziyu’s troublemaking,” Song Yinxing explained. “I’ll pay you back first.”
“No need. You got beaten, not me.”
“I’m repaying the money you advanced for the shoes.”
Why did Gu Yang make it sound like they had teamed up to scam someone and were now splitting profits?
“That? I told you, no need.”
“I have to,” Song Yinxing insisted firmly. “I know you don’t lack the money, but this matters to me. Give me your phone.”
The tone was almost forceful.
Gu Yang blinked, then obediently handed it over, opening the payment screen.
Song Yinxing scanned—
After several painfully slow loading spins from the battered secondhand phone, a page popped up.
Not the payment page.
The profile page.
Black avatar. Nickname: a single period.
“You opened the wrong one.”
Gu Yang glanced down. “Oh.”
Then casually added, “Just add me and transfer it.”
That made sense.
Feeling slightly awkward, Song Yinxing sent a friend request.
Gu Yang accepted. Song Yinxing transferred the money.
Gu Yang didn’t accept it immediately. Instead, he tapped into Song Yinxing’s Moments.
Song Yinxing watched in silence as Gu Yang scrolled right in front of him.
He never posted anything personal—only reposts for others.
He waited nervously, afraid Gu Yang might comment, You’re so boring.
But Gu Yang said nothing. After reaching the end, he put the phone away.
He still hadn’t accepted the money.
Song Yinxing wanted to remind him, but mentioning it again felt excessive. He decided to leave it for now and said goodbye.
Inside the classroom, Yu Bai had plastered his face to the window.
“What are they talking about? I can’t hear anything!”
“In broad daylight, pulling at each other like that—I knew something was fishy. They even held hands.”
“Why’s it taking so long? Let me hear too—”
Before he could open the window, Gu Yang returned.
Yu Bai withdrew smoothly. “What did that Song guy want? You talked forever.”
“None of your business,” Gu Yang replied casually.
Yu Bai: “……”
Sometimes Gu Yang really was like an NPC with limited dialogue options.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Song Yinxing paused on the staircase.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he couldn’t resist.
He took out his phone—
And opened Gu Yang’s Moments.
